Why The Midseason Finale is Good for Television

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Something relatively new to television that we have all begun to see advertised from our favorite shows is the Midseason or Winter finale. The actual midseason break is nothing new when it comes to the industry as a whole. The majority of shows out there only have a 20ish episode order from the networks and since we are spending time with our families during the holidays our shows take a break.  

But there is now a paradigm shift in the quality and the importance of this midseason break in television shows, the fact that it has now become an event. It used to be that the season premiere and season finale were the keystone to our television viewing, heck even Star Trek: The Next Generation made both ends of the season of major importance with quality cliffhangers, but now what happens before the winter break completely has our attention and quite frankly, I think it's a fantastic thing to see.  

Now if we can thank any particular show for bringing this whole idea forth, I would have to say it was the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. From Season 2 to the end, BSG left us wanting more by setting up an incredible plot twist or cliffhanger that we knew we would have to wait to see resolved and I'm so happy to see it spreading into the big time networks. The Walking Dead is a great example of how well the midseason finale has sucked us in, from Sophia hiding in the barn, to the battle of Woodbury this is a show that knows how to thrill us and leave us dying to know how the story ends come springtime.  

That's why this whole phenomenon is good for television, because it is making the medium as a whole...better.  Think about it, writers and producers know now that it is what we crave and rather than just chugging the story along, and letting the winter break come and go without notice, they now have to completely up their game and impress us with an incredible episode that leaves us talking for weeks on end and leaves us completely and utterly captivated. We are truly seeing better writing, a heavier investment in character development and all around, better television shows because of the investment going into these winter episodes.

It's a wonderful thing to see, and as long as it doesn't become a gimmick and continues to enhance the story, I'm all for it because right now, I'm dying to know what happens next on my favorite shows.  I have to know what happens next to the group after their devastating loss on The Walking Dead. How Barry Allen will deal with his hunt for Reverse Flash on The Flash and what comes next for S.H.I.E.L.D. after Skye's discovery, all thanks to the simple concept of making the middle of the television season as important as the beginning and the end. 

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